"Lord Danzō!"
Danzō had only just returned and taken his seat—still simmering with anger—when another shinobi hurried in.
"What is it?"
"Yes, my lord," the shinobi said respectfully. "There's a situation on the battlefield that requires your attention."
"On the battlefield?" Danzō lifted his gaze. "Has something unexpected happened?"
"No, no," the shinobi replied quickly. "The troublesome Mist squad from before has been completely wiped out."
"According to the survivors, it was you who personally intervened and saved them."
"But since you've remained in camp the entire time, I was worried something might be amiss, so I came to confirm."
"I intervened?"
Danzō's mind began racing.
The bodies Hanzo delivered to the bounty station yesterday… and the timing…
His eyes widened.
"That bastard—did he disguise himself as me?"
Hanzo must have wanted to avoid drawing Kirigakure's hatred onto himself. And perhaps he also feared Danzō might use evidence to blackmail him. So instead, he chose a public identity.
If Danzō admitted it was his doing, then the credit would firmly belong to him—and Hanzo would remain completely uninvolved.
If he denied it, then the money would have been spent for nothing, and the merit would go to some anonymous "hero."
Danzō frowned.
"Hanzo was hired for an assassination mission. You call that an assassination?"
He could have killed the targets quietly, retrieved the bodies, and left the rest to Danzō.
Instead, he eliminated them openly on the battlefield—and even let a group of witnesses walk away.
After a long pause, Danzō nodded.
"Yes. It was me."
"Sitting in camp serves little purpose at times. I occasionally inspect the front lines."
"As supreme commander, my movements cannot be public knowledge. Only a few Root operatives know when I act. The one stationed here is merely my Shadow Clone."
The shinobi was visibly startled.
"My lord! That's far too dangerous. If something were to happen to you, the consequences would be catastrophic! At the very least, you should bring guards next time."
"This is my duty," Danzō replied coldly.
"As commander, I must lead by example. And furthermore…"
"My actions are not for you to question."
"Understood?"
"Yes—yes, Lord Danzō!" The sudden chill in Danzō's aura made him flinch.
"Oh, and… about the secret jutsu you passed down on the battlefield—the 'Thousand Years of Death'…"
The shinobi seemed awkward, hesitating before continuing.
"We… tested it a few times. That area truly is a weakness in the Shikotsumyaku defense. The pressure from those Mist shinobi has been greatly reduced."
Secret jutsu?
Thousand Years of Death?
The name alone sounded extraordinary—and it countered the Shikotsumyaku Kekkei Genkai?
And it was so easy to learn that they'd already mastered it?
Danzō was momentarily bewildered.
Was Hanzo really helping Konoha out of goodwill? Was it truly because of him?
"…Good. As long as it's effective," Danzō said stiffly.
"If my secret jutsu benefits the war effort, all the better."
So it really was Lord Danzō who taught it!
"…Understood, my lord. I'll take my leave."
The shinobi hurried out.
Once he was gone, Danzō gestured subtly.
"Kō. Investigate this 'secret jutsu.'"
"Yes."
A shadow appeared behind him, then vanished in a Body Flicker Technique.
"Hanzo… what are you really planning? Are you truly trying to win my favor?"
"If so… at least you have some foresight."
---
Meanwhile…
Kumogakure and Konoha had clashed once again.
The Third Raikage initially intended to strike the Land of Earth again, but this time his secretary firmly dissuaded him.
"Lord Raikage, we cannot afford to split our forces any longer. You've seen the damage caused by the Fourth Tsuchikage's Tailed Beast Bomb."
"We must choose between Konoha and Iwagakure."
"Iwa has already been heavily exploited by Konoha and Amegakure. Even if we win there, the gains won't outweigh the losses. I recommend attacking Konoha instead. Even after Sunagakure raided them, they remain prosperous."
"Moreover, Konoha has been strangely passive along the border. They've even lost their main commander. This is an excellent opportunity."
"If we move quickly, we can push the war back into the Land of Hot Water and then look for a chance to invade Konoha itself."
The Third Raikage, having reflected deeply on his previous mistakes, accepted the advice this time.
He would personally lead the charge again. What he lost against Iwa, he would reclaim from Konoha.
After dealing with Konoha, he would settle the score with Iwagakure—and with Rōshi.
That grudge would not go unpaid.
On a moonless, stormy night, a squad of Kumogakure shinobi infiltrated Konoha's camp.
Kumo had remained inactive for months. Though Konoha's vigilance had not entirely lapsed, it had certainly dulled.
With the detonation of explosive tags, the Third Raikage gave the order.
Kumogakure launched a full assault.
In a single night, Konoha's defensive line along the Land of Lightning border collapsed.
The exhausted Kumo forces did not rest. They force-marched into the heart of the Land of Hot Water before finally establishing a new defensive line.
By the time a day had passed, Konoha would surely have received word.
But the momentum had already shifted.
From there, it would return to large-scale military standoffs.
The village still required the Raikage's presence for defense, and his combat style was ill-suited to drawn-out positional warfare. After ensuring the Kumo forces were stabilized, he returned home.
Before leaving, however, he recorded the coordinates for the Heavenly Transfer Technique.
---
Back in Konoha's Camp…
"Enema…?"
Danzō stood frozen.
"Yes, my lord…" the Root operative said nervously. "That area truly cannot be reinforced by Shikotsumyaku. The jutsu is… highly effective."
Veins bulged across Danzō's forehead.
"How many people know about this?"
"It must not spread."
"It's too late, my lord," the Root shinobi said, trembling.
"The Shikotsumyaku users are battle-crazed. On the Mist front, even hearing their name strikes fear into people. Taijutsu and kunai attacks are normally useless against them."
"Now that a countering jutsu has appeared—and since it was personally taught by you—it spread rapidly."
"Technically, it counts as taijutsu. And since it defeated the kekkei genkai that counters taijutsu most strongly, it's already been granted the title of 'Ultimate Jutsu.'"
"Shimura-Style Secret Transmission – Taijutsu Ultimate: Thousand Years of Death."
...
Danzō coughed up a mouthful of blood on the spot.
His lifelong reputation—
"Hanzo of the Salamander! This isn't fucking over!"
—
At that very moment, Hanzo—having just knocked out a shinobi with Ice Release, suddenly sneezed.
"…Strange. I actually sneezed?"
"Who's talking shit behind my back?"
---------------------------------///
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